At 40.2°C, Shivajinagar experiences hottest day of this summer so far

PUNE: The maximum temperature peaked to 40.2°C in Shivajinagar on Friday, making it the season’s hottest day so far.
The day temperature in Shivajinagar was over two degrees higher than normal on Friday. April 19 was the second hottest day in Shivajinagar this year with the mercury rising to 39.7°C

Last year, the mercury had touched the 40°C-mark in Shivajinagar in the first week of April. The day temperature had touched 40.1°C four times by April 12, 2017.

Cut to Lohegaon. It was a tad hotter on Friday with a maximum temperature of 41.1°C, around three degrees above normal. The day temperature crossed the 40°C-mark in Lohegaon almost six times since April 19 this year.

Not just Shivajinagar and Lohegaon, mercury soared in all the locations in the state. with as many as 22 locations out of the total of 28 monitored by the IMD recorded day temperatures above 40°C.

IMD officials said around 2.30pm on Friday, temperature of more than 40°C was recorded in most parts of Vidarbha, many parts of Marathwada and at one or two pockets of Madhya Maharashtra (including Pune), Konkan and Goa, among other regions.

“The day temperature recoded at 2.30pm on Friday increased by 1-3°C at most parts of Madhya Maharashtra and at one or two pockets of Konkan and Vidarbha, among other regions of the country,” a Met department official said.

The weekend could remain hot, too. According to the Met department, the city’s maximum day temperature may remain around 40°C on Saturday as well.

Another Met official said the city was under the influence of dry winds and clear skies at present. He said the city was currently battling the effects solar radiation directly hitting the earth’s surface in the absence of cloud cover.

Private weather forecaster AccuWeather gave drearier forecast for the city.

It predicted the day temperature here would stay put at 40°C till the next Thursday.